Jordan Morris scored his fifth goal of the season against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday. The goal ended up being the match-winner, bringing the Seattle Sounders to an 11-5-6 record and second place in the Western Conference.
The goal itself, which took a fair amount of skill and strength from the USMNT winger, ended up being much more controversial after the match than during it.
As countless think pieces have told us over the last couple years, Major League Soccer is shifting away from its “retirement league” stigma and embracing young, high potential talent with sell-on value. That’s all smart and good, but, in my opinion, not nearly as fun as the retirement league. Maybe it’s an unpopular opinion, but I’m still here for Zlatan Ibrahimović, Wayne Rooney and Bastian Schweinsteiger.
David de Gea is one of the few reasons Manchester United got anywhere after Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure. A brick wall between the sticks, De Gea’s heroics allowed United to win an FA Cup, a Europa League title and the League Cup in post-Ferguson years.
I understand professional sports are full of trash talk and bravado; the unnecessary and macho behavior is everywhere. But there is a time and place for such brashness, and following a heavy defeat is certainly not one of them. That said, the Zlatan vs Vela rivalry is becoming one of the best reasons to watch MLS this season.
Throughout the 2019 Women's World Cup, starting from the first whistle of the opener against Thailand until the last whistle in the final, the USWNT was out in full force with its celebrations. Every one of the 13 goals in the first game were celebrated and every goal after that as well. This drew some scrutiny from pundits and fans around the world.
So, the question is: Was the USWNT doing too much with its celebrations and attitude throughout the World Cup?
Finally, the Matthijs de Ligt Juventus Transfer is Complete
One of biggest transfer sagas of the summer has come to an end, with the 19-year-old Dutch phenom choosing the warm embrace of the Old Lady over many big clubs across Europe.
With contracts ending on June 30, there's a slew of footballers who'll be free to sign with the club of their choosing in a few days. This is a list of who I believe to be the most valuable free agents on the market. The players range from established veterans to promising youngsters, and while they vary in terms of talent and experience, I feel that evey one of them is capable of making an important contribution to the club they eventually sign for.
Here are my top 10 free agents heading into July.
The Trump-Rapinoe feud isn’t ending anytime soon. And we’re here for it, especially that Megan Rapino Twitter account (see below) that is absolute fire and in no way related to Megan Rapinoe the USWNT co-captain.
Summer in the soccer world is a time of hope, drama, disappointment, loss and new beginnings. In a footballer’s life, it could be a time of complete change and new opportunities; new challenges to take on. This summer is proving no different.
There is hope that teams can add players that will make them stronger and more competitive — take Real Madrid buying Eden Hazard and various others after a disappointing 2018-19 season. There is drama circulating too, with Gareth Bale being a lighting rod of speculation at Real as well.
In the upcoming July issue of FourFourTwo, Argentine legend and current Dorados manager Diego Maradona provides us with a fascinating thought: “If Manchester United need a coach, I’m the man to do it,” he says. “I know they sell lots of shirts around the world, but they need to win trophies, too. I can do that for them.”